Passenger Choice Awards Finalists Announced for 2013
Winners to be Named at APEX/IFSA EXPO in Anaheim

NEW YORK, Aug. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The passengers have spoken! The 2012-2013 cycle of the Passenger Choice Awards officially ended in June, and the finalists have been named. The winners will be honored at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Awards Ceremony, 9 September in Anaheim, California, USA.

The Passenger Choice Awards comprise 13 individual categories and were created to give the flying public a voice in the passenger experience. The survey is open year-round at www.passengerchoiceawards.com, and passengers are encouraged to vote every time they fly.

"For anyone in the airline industry, this is an exciting time of year. We're very excited to reveal the winners of the Passenger Choice Awards next month at the Awards Ceremony in Anaheim," said Dominic Green, Senior Director, Content Business for Thales and chair of the APEX Awards Task Force. "This program is not just about the past year of hard work done by airlines to improve the passenger experience; it's about showing how airlines are constantly working to raise the bar. It's something to be very proud of."

In addition to the Passenger Choice Awards, the APEX Awards Ceremony will recognize industry innovation and contribution to the industry as part of the Avion Awards.

Passenger Choice Award Finalists are listed alphabetically:

Best Overall Passenger Experience

EMIRATES

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

GARUDA INDONESIA

VIRGIN AMERICA

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Best in Region: Africa

AIR MAURITIUS

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

KENYA AIRWAYS

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS

Best in Region: Americas

AIR TRANSAT

AVIANCA

DELTA AIR LINES

JETBLUE

VIRGIN AMERICA

Best in Region: Asia and Australasia

AIR NEW ZEALAND

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS

GARUDA INDONESIA

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

PIA

QANTAS AIRWAYS

Best in Region: Europe

NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE

SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES

TAP PORTUGAL

TURKISH AIRLINES

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Best in Region: Middle East

EMIRATES

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

GULF AIR

QATAR AIRWAYS

ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES

Best Inflight Publication

AVIANCA

GARUDA INDONESIA

GULF AIR

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

Best IFE User Interface

EMIRATES

ETIHAD AIRWAYS

ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES

VIRGIN AMERICA

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

Best Inflight Connectivity & Communications

EMIRATES

NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE

OMAN AIR

PIA

VIRGIN AMERICA

Best Inflight Video

AIR NEW ZEALAND

EMIRATES

EVA

TAP PORTUGAL

VIRGIN AMERICA

Best Cabin Ambiance

AIR TRANSAT

EMIRATES

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

SWISS

VIRGIN AMERICA

Best Food & Beverage (in conjunction with the International Flight Services Association)

While voting for the 2013 Passenger Choice Awards campaign ended on 30 June, the 2014 awards cycle is now underway. To take the survey, visit www.passengerchoiceawards.com.

To learn more about the awards and about APEX, visit www.apex.aero. Stay updated by liking the Passenger Choice Awards on Facebook and by following us on Twitter.

About the Passenger Choice Awards

The Passenger Choice Awards were created to give voice to airline passengers. For an opportunity to "Choose Who's in First," for 2014, visit www.passengerchoiceawards.com to vote and be sure to visit the Passenger Choice Awards fan pages on Facebook and Twitter.